My wash cloths and towels get smelling weird?
Question:I wash them in warm water, use bleach or hydrogen peroxide to kill any bacteria, but ultimately before the end of the week...sometimes just sitting in the basket unused, they end up smelling horrible. Has anyone else had this problem? I use a fabric softener and have tried softener sheets. Anything else I can do to prevent this problem?
Answers:
First don't use fabric softeners or drier sheets. They cause the towels to lose there absorbency. Here's a great idea ,Use Borax. You know,Twenty Mule Team Borax. That's the name. It's a laundry booster,makes them smell good,brightens them too! Get it with the laundry soaps at the Market. Bye Oh ,wash with vinegar to,that will get rid of the residue that's causing the smell.
I never tried HP
rinse thoroughly..
buy new clothes
My only idea is that you are not drying them completely, or are storing them in a damp, moldy place. Thoroughy washed and dried towels, stored in a dry place, should smell fine for a long time.
My towels and face cloths do the same thing. Our water here is not the best living out in the country.
I believe the smell is mold and mildew. The only thing I can suggest is soak your towels and cloths, including the kitchen towels and cloths, in bleach, in the washer. After about an hour, then do a regular wash cycle. When it comes time to rinse again, pour a cup of vinegar in the water.
If you have colored towels, use just a hint of bleach and try some borax too.
Good luck. I've had to throw out half of my linens and start fresh. I buy all white towels and face cloths now so that I can use bleach all the time.
I can suggest this, Try not leaving your wet clothes in the basket, it is for this reason they are becoming smelly. I also suggest ,you let the clothes dry with air before putting them in the basket . This way you will have no problem, When you finish with your bath towel´s just hang them over the bath, when they are dry , then put them in the laundry basket
its the peroxide that is making your clothes smell. been there, done that. i stopped using it in my laundry. now i just use liquid tide and i use a liquid fabric softener. try that and see if it helps.
Make sure they are all completely dry if you let it sit in the basket and store them in dry, clean areas. I find that my beach towels start to smell after a week (even if they are completely dry) but my regular towels don't smell at all. I don't understand the difference...they are all 100%cotton. Maybe the color dye on my beach towel makes it smell? It must be made with lower quality stuff. I know it's not my washing technique (like you I use warm water and bleach to wash my towels) because other towels don't smell at all.
Good luck!
It sounds like they are damp or getting damp somehow. Do you have a linen closet? I keep my unused towels in my linen closet and they smell fresh. So maybe try not to keep the unused ones in the bathroom as they are getting damp and the smell is probably mildew.
Make sure you dry them properly , store them in a dry place and it helps if you place fabric softener sheets in between them.
Sometimes when you use to much bleach the smell never seems to leave and ends up smelling nasty. Be sure your drying the items completly or they will get musty.
Good luck
Also warm soapy water is enough to kill bacteria you dont need peroxide or bleach for that.
One question, are they dark colors such as green or navy, you get the picture. I had that problem and i got rid of them and went with white and i would bleach the heck out of them. Good Luck
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